As anticipated, Carson Whisenhunt has a torn UCL and while the San Francisco Giants rookie was still scheduled to meet with team doctors Tuesday night, Tommy John surgery already is considered the best option for him. 

Manager Tony Vitello described Whisenhunt as being in “relatively good spirits,” but said surgery “is probably going to be needed and then he’ll start his climb back.”

Shortstop Willy Adames also has a UCL injury, a sprain incurred on a play at the plate Sunday. It’s his non-throwing (left) elbow, so it’s possible that rest and rehab will be all that’s required.

“It’s something that I think he can work to rehab, see where it’s at, get it reevaluated and then go from there,” Vitello said. “There’s kind of a wide range of possibilities if you’re looking at what date he’s going to come back. … For now, some well-deserved downtime. I know it’s not wanted, but it’s well deserved.”

With Whisenhunt out, the Giants could turn to left-hander Matt “Tugboat” Wilkinson, sent down before Monday’s game; he’s likely to be the 27th player for Saturday’s split doubleheader against Arizona. Cesar Perdomo, who’s not on the 40-man roster, is 4-0 with a 3.24 ERA at Triple-A Sacramento this month should the team want to take a look at the 24-year-old left-hander.

Reliever Anthony Molina, called up Monday, and Spencer Bivens, recalled Tuesday, both can work multiple innings so the occasional bullpen game might be in the cards. Carson Seymour, already in the bullpen, mostly has started in the minors.

“I think the door is open for some of the guys that we have in the organization who are teetering on ‘Is this guy going to be a starter or not?’” Vitello said. “The opportunity is there more than ever.”

The Giants already have two of their top young starters, Hayden Birdsong and Trevor McDonald, out after UCL repairs, and closer Randy Rodriguez, too, is rehabbing after Tommy John surgery.  Recovery time typically is 12-14 months. 

Whisenhunt, 25, was 3-4 with a 6.49 ERA in eight starts this season and opponents batted .293 against him, but he had some standout appearances, including a strong outing against Houston on the last homestand, working 5⅔ innings and allowing one run.

“I think he’s at a point in his career where he’s established he’s a big-league starter,” Vitello said. “If you give him 10 outings, I really feel like he’s going to give you five real good ones, where if you play good ball and you score a few runs, you’ll win those.

“I know he’s got higher ambitions, I’m not trying to limit him, not saying he can’t be a 15-game winner or whatever it is. … I think there’s growth to be had there mentally and with preparation. And sometimes this time off serves guys pretty well. They can get other parts stronger, they can dive a little more into video, fresh of mind when they come back. And he’s got that experience to lean on. For now, I think he’s in a good spot. The future is bright, it’s fair to say.”